driftfleet | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: Sure!
Action: Everywhere!
When: Until the end of the month!

[hey droot flooters! how are those new augment glitches going? how's your crew? what fresh trouble have you been getting into? how are those jobs paying off? whether you're in your ship, on one of the moons, stuck on Marsiva, or hiding out on one of the waystations in-between, your audience wants to know what you're up to!

note: there are an unusual number of shoes on sale in the shops today. the ones on Abeo are pretty ugly.]

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[Just as he hoped, really. As long as he doesn't get too personal about how his time in the Mirador, it was a suitably neutral topic of discussion as things went, and it got Mattias' attention. All of which were just fine with him.]

I was a member of the Curia, one our own secondary ruling councils under the Lord Protector. Primarily we advised him on matters of magic and ruled on policies that governed the use of it in the city. Mostly it involved a lot of arguing. My particular duties extended towards keeping an eye on the envoys from our neighbors and teaching Cabaline theory to a small crop of young wizards. [Neither of which were his idea, but you break one artifact and you generally jump when the Lord Protector says frog, so to speak]

Magic. [He says it on a wistful breath, fingers lingering at his lips. Biting one to contain his excitement, he hardly notices when it starts to bleed and is quick to wipe it off.]

And what is this "Cabaline theory"? Does it pertain to magic? Could you show it to me? Or explain it? And your duties as and advisor. I'd love to hear about that. Whatever stories you're willing to share, of course. Although I haven't got parchment yet. Shit. [That last bit is muttered, fingers toying near his mouth again before he waves a hand in dismissal.] Nevermind that, an explanation would be just fine.

[He moves like a bird, flitting from one movement to the next, hands behind his back now as he leans forward.] Can I treat you to some coffee? Or tea. Or... whatever it is they drink here.

[He'd apparently somewhat underestimated the absolute fervor of Mattias' inquisitiveness, and he raises and eyebrow at the man for a moment.]

I'd be delighted. Why don't we walk and see what we can find? [He gestures sideways and starts down the street at an easy walk, confident that Mattias would follow. He simply wants to get them moving, or he fears once he started explaining the two of them would start putting down roots right there in the sidewalk]

Perhaps I should back up slightly. In the world I came from there are differing - and sometimes contentious - views on how magic it taught and practiced. There are multitudes of schools of thought that determine the ideology, method, and type of magic an individual learning under that system uses. At the basic level, the magic itself isn't any different, but the nature of magic is that is shaped by how it's caster thinks of it. The Cabaline school, in this case, is the school of wizardry I was instructed in. The essence of it is that magic is a force that interacts with the world by channeling through material objects. Thus the rings...[He gestures with his hands, heavy with golden rings set with garnet. The edges of trailing vines in bright crimson, blue, and emerald, each edged in gold, start at his knuckles and disappear up his sleeve]

Fascinating. [As expected, Mattias follows, keeping pace to watch Felix gesture attentively.] So the magic manifests in the way most natural for the user? And that forms the different branches? I can only assume they bicker amongst themselves.

[It seemed like an inherent nature for schools.] And the rings, you said? [Skipping ahead, he walks backwards, leaning forward to better examine the rings. Still, he's careful not to touch. No need to risk that yet.] Does the stone matter? And these vines? What do they do?

[He points to each, slowing to fall back beside Felix.]

No, not precisely. Individual wizards might display an innate talent for one thing or another, but that has no impact on the schools. Think of them as different philosophies on the same subject. Each has a different approach and a particular way they have been taught to structure their magic. But you are correct on one point, they rarely agree. Which is putting it kindly in most cases.

[He watches Mattias with a bemused expression, doing his best to adequately cover everything the man had asked him about.]

The rings are a focus. A method of channeling said magic. It's actually not precisely necessary, but it does help. The stones don't matter, though there is often a certain amount of personal preference and association in terms of their selection. My last set was moonstone, in fact. What matters is that stone and metal are considered grounding materials in Cabaline magic, which is why they're used in this fashion.

[His smile grows a bit thinner at the second question, but he continues]

The tattoos aren't thaumaturgically important, though there is some symbolism tied into the design. [He turns his hand over, showing Mattias the staring blue eye emblazoned on his palm] In my case, they're more a badge of office and a method of identification. One of the many reasons our schools are in conflict is that there are a good number of them that are tightly linked with their local government, and none so much as mine. The establishment of the Cabaline school and the overthrow of our monarchy in favor of the protectorate coincides. Accordingly, wizards who take the Cabaline oaths and wears the tattoos also lend their power to the wards that keep the city safe from our neighbors and rivals, the Kekropian empire and the Eusebian school of wizardry. As you might imagine, it can be quite dangerous for a member of either school to travel, especially for people like myself who wear their loyalty so openly on their skin.

I see. [It's a large amount of information but give him a few minutes and he manages to parse it, storing the information for later. His fingers twitch for pen and parchment; he makes a mental note to pick some up on the way back.]

This is fascinating. Much different from the other systems I've heard of. It's so much more... [He gestures for the word but it abandons him.] ... in-depth, I suppose? No, that's not right. [After a moment's thought he waves the matter off.]

Now, what of your government? You said your school overthrew the monarchy. Why? And why protect the city with magic and not an army? Surely, if magic is common enough to have bickering schools it's common enough to have defenses. Does it truly provide an advantage?

[A beat and then he's chuckling nervously, holding up his hands.] Oh, and do tell me if I'm asking too much. I'll try and restrain myself.

[Felix laughs amiably] Not at all. I can provide you the finer details later, if you like. I think perhaps the word you are looking for is convoluted. The nature of the beast, you might say.

[He was never as much a student of Marathine history, mostly because Malkar didn't care much to teach him about it. The reasons for that seem a bit clearer in hindsight. Ironically, it was his less educated younger brother that knew more about the crown that he could ever hope to remember, but he reaches back to that in order to give Mattias an answer that won't complicate the line of inquiry even further]

Oh, it's a rather long story. The rulers of the city long had a bloody history, and the dynasty of the Cordelii was no different, and steeped in corruption. At the same time, the use of blood magic and necromancy was prominent in the city, and wizards used their magic to terrorize and control the populace. The original Cabal, along with Michael Teverius, eradicated both the Cordelius family and the practices of old in one decisive strike.

[He gestures with a hand in a slicing sort of gesture]

Perhaps I overstated the commonality of it. Yes, there are many schools and many wizards, but statistically speaking we are a minority among the population. Not everyone is born with the talent. We have soldiers, just as Kekropia does, but even if they took the lower city, they could never breach the Mirador, our stronghold. There are many functions of those wards, but the most notable is the fact that it is more or less impossible to kill someone protected under the conditions of the wards.

[The explanation is lined with hooks, juicy baits lingering down for him to pluck up. He could feast on them all but chooses one, jogging lightly forward, blithely ignoring the line of cafes they're already passing by.]

Wait. [He slows when he's ahead again. Able to see Felix's face.] Necromancy? As in divination of the dead? I didn't think such a thing was real, let alone used by people.

[His feet fall back into place with Felix's, expression both puzzled and disturbed.] Dare I ask how it worked?

[He slows to a stop, as if he can't quite manage to think about this and walk at the same time, his mouth twisting into a thoughtful expression]

Do you mean what was done with it or how the magic worked? Either way, there's not much I can tell you. Much of that knowledge was purposefully lost when the Cabal took over things, although there's reportedly a tiny guild of necromancers still operating in the Lower City.

[He waves a hand, stopping slightly ahead of Felix.]

Nothing so complex. At the risk of sounding ignorant, I was wondering about the concept itself. Magic doesn't exist in my home except in fantasy writings and our idea of necromancy... Well, it might be quite different from your own. [Perking forward, he folds his hands behind his back.] Tell me, do you burn your dead?

The only way to correct ignorance is to ask questions and learn. [He smiles, genuinely]

Generally no. Most dead are buried.

[Burial. It's hard not to wrinkle his nose at the very idea.]

Ah, that explains it. So necromancers would... [he wiggles his fingers] fiddle the corpses, correct? Or perhaps just the bones?

[Minus the ones they burn at the stake, at least. Thus the 'generally'.]

Corpses, I think. There are...were...still ghouls in the lower levels of the Mirador. And a small number loose in the swamp outside the city. Being that ghouls are largely intact I assume it had to be the whole body. Not that the bones can't be used for other things, like contacting the spirits of the dead.

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